


Fallen

by ThisIsWhereTrashGoes



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fallen Humans AU, Gen, Human Sans, Mentions of Death, Sad Sans, Skeleton Papyrus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-05-29 20:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6391831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisIsWhereTrashGoes/pseuds/ThisIsWhereTrashGoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd stopped trying to go back a long time ago. </p><p>It was something that could never be changed. </p><p>They had fallen down Mt. Ebbot and tried to find their way home.<br/>His brother had died while he lived. </p><p>Papyrus had taken his brother's place. </p><p>They weren't the same, but he would take what he could get.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first attempt at writing something for this fandom. Hopefully it's not too terrible.  
> So, essentially what if Sans and Papyrus had been humans before falling into the underground?  
> What if Papyrus had been the only one to die instead of both?

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could put up with this. 

With every reset… 

Every nightmare…

Every time he had to stand there and see his brother cut down before his eyes over and over again…it was taking him apart piece by piece. He felt sick to his stomach. He was so tired. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was before. When the kid came down and freed everyone. When the barrier was broken and he was able to feel the warmth on his skin again. 

He remembered that reset. He couldn’t believe it at first. He was almost scared to go through, afraid that it was all a dream and he would wake up back in his bedroom in Snowdin. Papyrus was the one to snap him out of it, grabbing his hand and pulling him along and into the light. Next thing he knew, he was standing on a cliff with Frisk and all the friends they had made along the way. 

All of them looked so hopeful. 

The kid was going to be their ambassador and Papyrus even wanted to be the mascot. Things were looking up. 

He wasn’t sure what had gone wrong. 

They had been adjusting nicely enough. Of course there were tensions between humans and monsters, but that was to be expected. Everyone tried to remain optimistic in hopes that monsters and humans could coexistence in relative peace. He’d managed to find a small apartment for him and Papyrus to rent. Finding jobs was a bit difficult though. For obvious reasons. Papyrus had been trying to figure out what to do with himself now that there wasn’t a need for Royal guardsmen and being mascot didn’t really pay much. He never held it against him though. He simply went out and found two jobs, only one of which his brother knew about, and let Papyrus take all the time he needed. He wanted Papyrus to find something he’d be truly happy with. 

Papyrus’ happiness always came first.

Everyone seemed more or less happy even with the humans struggling to be more accepting of monster kind. He thought things would only go up from there. Then the resets started. 

Why couldn’t the kid be happy with what they got?

He’d lost count how many times he had to watch the people around him die. How many times he’s heard Papyrus’ desperate attempts to reason with the kid before they struck him down in cold blood. 

He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. 

It didn’t help that one night his nightmares were different from the usual. He had heard Papyrus’ voice. He sounded panicked. He was calling out for help. But there was something different. Papyrus had never called for help before. The royal guardsmen in training always believe that he could handle it. That he could get the human to change their ways.  
What was going on? He found himself running towards the commotion. He wasn’t sure why. What was the point? The human always won. They always cut his brother down right in front of him with a smile that revealed who the true monster was in this whole affair. 

But his body was moving on its own. He called out for Papyrus, but another name came out instead. A name he’d almost forgotten. 

“ty…?” _pap…?_

He kept running as fast as he could. His lungs burned and his heart was racing, but he had to keep going. He remembered this moment. Somehow, this was worse than watching the human terrorize the underground. At least he knew everything would be reset and he would wake up back in his room. 

But this…

This was something that could never be changed. 

“ty!” _papyrus!_

He could never go back.

“No! Stay back! I-I mean it!” _ARE YOU GIVING ME A HUG??_

_no no no!_  
_not again, please!_

“please! He’s just a kid!”

The sound of steel cutting into flesh and bone.

 _OH…THAT…IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED._

The sound of his brother’s body collapsing onto the ground. 

_no!_

_BUT…_  
_I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU!_

_papyrus!_

There was blood and things got hazy after that. 

 

His brother was gone.

 

The human hadn’t been the first to take his brother’s life.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a trip to the mountains.

 

His brother shouldn’t have tried to climb that damn mountain, trying to prove he was brave.

_“Wait…Where do you think you’re going?”_

_“Up there, of course! What’s the point of him dragging us all the way up here if we’re not going to do some climbing?”_

_“Ty, don’t. Like you can even climb up there.”_

_“That a challenge?”_

 

He shouldn’t have followed.

_“We all know you can’t climb this thing.”_

_“What is that supposed to mean?”_

_“You think you can handle it? How about a little race, then?”_

_“You’ve got to be kidding me…”_

_“Let’s see what you got. Ready? Set. Go!”_

 

His brother shouldn’t have steered so close to the edge.

_“Ha! I knew you couldn’t beat me!”_

_“Dammit, slow down!”_

_“I’m going all the way to the top!”_

 

He should’ve have been faster.

_“This is what happens when you sit in your room all d—“_

_“Ty!”_

 

He should have been able to save him when he fell.

_“Andre! Help, I can’t—!”_

_“I’ve got you! Just…just hold on, okay?”_

He should have been strong enough.

_“I’m slipping!”_

_“Don’t panic! I’ve got you. Just grab my hand!”_

 

He wasn’t.

 

He remembers falling.

He remembers landing on a bed of flowers.

He also remembers his brother landing painfully right on top of him.

* * *

 

He remembers a laboratory.

He remembers feeling…cold.

He remembers opening his eyes, blinking against the harsh light. He had been sure he was going to die along with his brother. Was he already….?

No. He feels pain. He tried to move and he found himself strapped to a table. Blood stained his sweater from a gash on his torso.

He remembered feeling empty. He looked up and saw a being watching him with fascination. No. Not him. He was staring to something glowing dimly in his hands. A soul. Broken and on the verge of shattering. Blank eyes turned to him. It grinned a broken smile, staring at him with black, hollow, eyes. His whole form seemed to be melting.  

 “Oh…You actually survived…” The figure hummed. Its voice seemed to echo inside his head. Long, white fingers brushed his cheek experimentally. He jerked his head away. The monster pulled its hand away, looking slightly put off, but please nonetheless.

 “How… _interesting_ …It actually _worked_.”

He felt his body start to tremble. His heart raced. Strangely, the blue soul did the same. He remembers not knowing what it was at the time.

“There’s no need to be afraid…I won’t hurt you. What is your name, fallen child?”

His voice sounded like static, pounding inside his skull. He could hardly think.

He only stared.

“I know you can speak. You were certainly quite vocal when I found you. You kept inquiring about…your brother, I believe?” The monster asked, turning his attention back to the soul. His reaction was immediate. He tugged at the straps over his arms and legs. “Where is he?” He remembered sounding desperate, demanding answers. He remembered looking around the large room, hoping to find his brother nearby. No one. He was nowhere in the room…so where was he? He had to be there, right? Then where…? “What have you done with him? If you hurt him, I’ll—“  

The monster hummed. “My boy, you’re in no position to make threats.” It flexed its fingers slightly around the soul and the magic sealing the cracks pressed deeper into the soul. “I only want to help.”

“Now…how old are you?” It asked and his heart was hammering so fast that he suspected it might beat out of his chest.

“Eighteen”

“Fascinating…and your brother?”

“Fifteen.”

The monster paused. “Oh. Well, that’s unfortunate.”

He remembered feeling his heart drop. “What do you….Where is he? What happened?”

“I’m afraid he didn’t make it. He was…gone by the time I found you two.”

He remembered feeling like his whole world had stopped. His baby brother was gone.

He remembered running. Not being fast enough to save his brother. Failing him for a second time.

The image of his brother’s death played in his mind over and over again.

He remembered pain. He remembered his vision filling with black.

He remembered something ringing in his head.

D O N ‘T  F O R G E T

* * *

 

Sans woke with a start. Magic flared around him, summoning an array of bones. They ended up lodged into the walls, ceiling, and the floor. Papyrus had been at his door and had nearly been impaled by a stray bone. Sans quickly reigned in his magic, getting dressed before letting his brother in. He tried not to let on how shaken he was.

He hasn’t had nightmares like that for a while now. They had been replaced by the human, a knife, and Papyrus trying in vain to get them to change. He’s failed his brother so many times. Why is it that he was always a moment too late? Always just in time to see his brother be cut down in front of him? What was the point in trying anymore? If they died, the human would just reset and try again.

They go through the same routine. Papyrus questions him about his nightmares and he lies through his teeth, telling him not to worry about it.

He was fine.

Promise.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he could keep up this charade.

* * *

 

The nightmares kept occurring.

He had tried his hardest to forget. To move on. There was no going back.

He sat on his bed, looking at his hands. It wasn’t fair. He’d survived when his brother hadn’t. He didn’t deserve it. Papyrus should have lived. He would have found a way out of the underground. He would have found his way back home. Back to their mother and his dad. He was a smart kid. He’d always been good at figuring things out. He would have survived. Maybe he would have been better off without him dragging him down.

But life wasn’t so kind.

Papyrus didn’t remember his death. He lived life thinking he’d always been a skeleton. He was happy. Sans supposed he should be happy for that.

Sans didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. Papyrus’ happiness always came first. He deserved to be happy. If Sans couldn’t save his life, then that was the next best thing. So he quickly adapted. A skeleton mask with a permanent grin to hide his face (He was glad he still had it in his pocket all that time. He really needs to clean out his pockets one of these days. That day would not be today, however.) and gloves to hide his hands. Simple yet effective.

Skeleton monsters were rare in the underground. Rare enough that he’s yet to run into another skeleton besides Papyrus. Therefore, nobody knew much about them. Not nearly enough to determine that there were holes in Sans’ mediocre disguise.

Papyrus couldn’t compare him with anyone else and he, himself, didn’t know much about skeleton monsters, so he was none the wiser. As long as he made sure to never be caught without his disguise, he would be fine.

Besides, those were the least of his problems.  

* * *

 

Papyrus was starting to notice just how bad he was getting. Maybe he was getting sloppier at hiding it or maybe his brother was just more observant than he thought.

The mask kept his smile the same. For that, he was grateful, but it couldn’t hide how tired he was. How hopeless. His eyes must give it away. No longer human. Changed permanently when his soul was tampered with. Not that it mattered. He couldn’t leave the underground anyway. Not with a tampered soul and not without his brother. Still, he wished Papyrus didn’t have to see him like this. He doesn’t want his brother to worry about him. He deserved to be happy. Sans didn’t want to drag him down with him. He was always doing that, wasn’t he?

Papyrus deserved a better brother.

* * *

 

It was late. He had decided to drown himself in ketchup. He should have been home over an hour ago. He had passed out at Grillby’s again. He woke with a groan. Wait. He was moving. Why was he moving? He rubbed his head and looked up to find the frustrated and worried face of Papyrus as he focused on walking back home. Oh. Grillby must have called for Papyrus to come get him. Now he was being carried under Papyrus’ arm. For someone without muscles, Papyrus was pretty strong. How that was possible, he wasn’t sure. He stopped caring a long time ago. His best guess was ‘magic’ and stuck with it.

He gave his brother a sheepish look. Papyrus only sighed. He hadn’t even looked at him. Sans looked away. They both remained silent until they got home.

Once they stepped through the door, Papyrus shut the door behind them and put him down.  

“heh….thanks, pap.” He muttered. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned towards the stairs. He’d hoped he could just retreat to his room for the rest of the night. He wasn’t so lucky.

Papyrus placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him back around to face him. He looked away. “Sans, wait.” Papyrus said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nonexistent nose. “….Brother, I’m concerned—“  

“you don’t need to be. i’m fine.” He cut in. He wondered how many times he’s used that lie.  

“ _Don’t._ ” Papyrus huffed, impatiently. Sans immediately snapped his mouth shut, not that Papyrus could see it. “ _Don’t_ say that you’re fine because it’s more than obvious that you’re _no_ t!”  

Oh…had he really been than transparent?

“Please, Sans. Just tell me what’s going on with you. You look even more tired than usual, you’ve been spending more and more time at Grillby’s, you’ve been _drinking_ more, and you’ve been moving even slower than usual. You’re puns have even gotten less creative!”

Oh. Apparently he was. He winced. He couldn’t even keep Papyrus from worrying about him. Could he do anything right?

Papyrus crossed his arms and waited for an answer. “Well?”

“i don’t want to talk about it.” That was the truth, at least. Papyrus let his arms drop to his side.

“ _Why?_ If you can’t talk to me, then who _will_ you talk to? I’m your brother, Sans. I just want you to be okay. I just want you to tell me what’s wrong. …Why won’t you just…? Do you not trust me?” He asked, softly. Papyrus sounded so hurt. He couldn’t stand it.

“what? no, papyrus. this isn’t about trust.” He groaned, wishing more than anything that he could just drown himself in another bottle of ketchup.

“Then what _is_ it about? What is it that you won’t tell me? Whatever it is, I can handle it!” Why couldn’t Papyrus just leave it alone?

“no. you can’t.” It didn’t matter. None of this mattered. That damn kid was just going to reset and then he would be back to where he started. Anything he could or would say would just be forgotten. It always was.

“I can, too! I’m not a child, Sans! You don’t have to keep hiding things from me!” Papyrus insisted. He really wasn’t going to let this go, was he? He sighed. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with this.  

“you know what? it doesn’t matter what i say, pap.” He said, bitterly. “you’re not going to remember. you never do. it’s a waste of time so just drop it.”

“But—“

“i said _drop it_.” He snapped, shrugging off Papyrus’ hand when he tried to grab him again and teleported to his room to collapse on his bed.

Why had he done that?

He winced when he heard the front door slam shut. He sighed. He felt terrible. He knew Papyrus had just been trying to help. He shouldn’t have snapped at him like that.

He couldn’t keep doing this. Living like this. He couldn’t lash out like that again. Papyrus didn’t deserve it.

He sat up and tugged off his gloves, revealing dark skin underneath. He tossed them to the side. He stared at them for a moment. He’d been pretending to be a skeleton for so long that his hands, his human hands, no longer seem familiar to him. He pulled off his mask. They swiftly joined the gloves on the floor.

He hesitated.

He summoned his soul. It glowed a soft cyan blue. It was littered with cracks, glowing white against blue, as if it was on the verge of falling apart. It practically was. Another monster’s magic ( _his_ magic) was the only thing that was keeping it together. It had altered his once human soul. It was the only thing keeping it from shattering. One hit. That’s all it would take. And he would be…

Actually…he wonders what would happen if he died. He was neither fully human or monster.

Would he turn to dust or would he leave behind a body?

He flopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes, just wishing he could get a good night’s rest for once. Papyrus would likely be back soon. Maybe later tonight. Maybe sometime in the morning.

He couldn’t stay mad forever, right?

 

Right?


	3. Chapter 3

Everything hurt.

 

He groaned as something shifted on top of him. “are you okay?” He muttered with half a mouth full of dirt. He spit it out and sat up, dusting himself off.

“Yeah, I think so. I had you to break my fall.” He ignored the smug tone in his brother’s voice. Instead just scowled and pushed himself to his feet. “whatever. i’m fine, too, by the way.” He took a look around. They were surrounded by a bed of yellow flowers. It must have broken their fall.

Wait.

Both brothers looked up at the top of the mountain where they’d fallen. Should they even try climbing back up there? The task seemed impossible and a lot of work in his opinion.

“Well, if we’re not going up, then what the hell do we do?” Ty hissed, stamping his foot impatiently. He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets while he tried to think. He suggested finding another way out. There had to be one around here somewhere. The key was not to panic. They would find a way out of this…somehow.

Then, there was a run in with a talking flower which was more than enough for him to want to get the hell out of this place after the thing tried to kill them. Maybe it was safer if they go back. Maybe they could try to climb the mountain.

No. That was ridiculous. He doubted even Ty could climb back up. Maybe they could try calling for help. Anything was better than risking their lives going deeper into the underground with was populated with monsters. Actual monsters like that goat woman who saved their lives.

This is where he made his second mistake that day.

They were divided on what to do. He suggested staying and try calling for help. The underground was too dangerous and he was not about to get themselves killed just because Ty thought exploring deeper into this place would be some sort of adventure.

Ty wasn’t backing down. He was ready to just trust Toriel just like that. He wanted to see what more the underground had to offer and maybe even find a better way out than sitting around and hoping their uncle would hear them.

Well, he wasn’t backing down either. He was staying and when Ty refused to listen, he let him go off with Toriel on his own.

He should have gone with him. He should have never left him alone. 

He realized this after trying in vain to call for help. Shouting didn’t work and his cell phone had been damaged in the fall. And Ty had had his phone taken away from him before they even went on this trip.

Great.

He tried climbing. He quickly realized it was getting him nowhere. He decided to give up and find his brother. He thought he would still be with Toriel only to learn that he’d ended leaving the ruins.

His little brother was alone. In a world full of _monsters_. Monsters including one called Asgore that would try to take his brother’s soul if he didn’t find him in time.

He’d reacted without thinking. He run out of the ruins, finding himself suddenly surrounded by thick snow. He untied the jacket from around his waist and threw it on, never stopping as he trekked through the snow. He crossed the bridge, stopping when he came to a small clearing.

No one.

The place seemed oddly…empty.

He kept going until he found himself in a small town called Snowdin where he learned that the monsters of this town were actually friendly. Like Toriel had been. Still, he had to get to his brother before Asgore did. He asked around and it turns out Ty had left a bit of an impression on the town and not a good one. He had gotten into fights with local monsters around the area and they were not pleased to hear that he was his brother.

He passed a cozy looking house for rent on his way to Waterfall. He thought for a moment that maybe that’s a house he’d like to have someday. Someday when he could live away from the city he grew up in to a nice quiet town and just watch the stars.

But that wasn’t important right now. He needed to find his brother before the head of the Royal Guard found him or Ty got himself into any more trouble on his way to this barrier thing that could help them get back home.

 

* * *

 

He had missed his brother in Waterfall. At least, he hopes so, and he finds himself in Hotland. How big is the underground anyway? He quickly tied his coat back around his waist and kept looking.

He remembers beginning to panic. The longer it was taking to find the young teen, the more he worried. There was no way Ty could be that far ahead of him. He had to run across him soon.

Right?

 

* * *

 

He remembered spotting his brother in the distance along with the feeling of dread creeping up his throat. Ty was in a battle and was losing. He remembered running as fast as he could. “ty!” He yelled. He had to get to him. He had to something. _Anything_.

“No! Stay back! I-I mean it!”

Ty sounded so scared. Why did have to pick fights with everyone? He should have known not to go up against a monster larger than him. He should have ran when he had the chance.

“please! he’s just a kid!”

The sound of clawed hands ripping through flesh and bone.

The sound of his brother’s body collapsing onto the ground.

He remembers screaming something. He couldn’t remember what he said. Things got hazy after that.

The most he remembers is pain and blood as those clawed hands turned on him.

He had been in and out of consciousness.

Ty wasn’t moving.

Everything went black just as he realized someone was coming towards them.

 

* * *

 

Ty was gone.

 

He was… _dead._ All because he let him roam around on his own. He should’ve known Ty would get into trouble. Oh god, he should have stayed with him. Maybe then…Maybe then Ty would still be alive.

He really was a bad brother, wasn’t he?

“My…condolences for your loss.” The monster asked, shifting awkwardly. He didn’t say anything. He was still struggling to process everything. The monster moved to check something on the monitors nearby. “I…know you’re a bit distraught right now, but I’m afraid you’ll have to grieve later.”

What? Who the hell did he think he was?

“Don’t give that look. This is important. How do you feel?”

How the hell did it think he felt? He glared hatefully at the monster and hardened his look the closer the creature came to him. “Perhaps I should clarify. I meant physically how do you feel?”

He frowned.

“Just answer the question. I’m not your enemy here, my boy. I only wish to help. Your brother may have passed, but I’m trying to make sure you don’t perish along with him. Now…answer the question.”

His frown only deepened, but perhaps the monster had a point. “i…i feel empty.”

“Ah, the human speaks! Excellent. No worries, you’re supposed to feel that way.” It said, grin firmly back in place. It held up the blue soul closer to him at his look of confusion. Was that his? “It is yours, yes. See the blue trails of magic? It keeps the connection from your soul to your physical form. I’ve had to do some… _alterations_ to it. Here. Stay still.” He ordered and chuckled softly. “Ah, not that you can really move around much with those restraints on, now, can you?”

He decided that he didn’t like this monster.  

He struggled against his bonds, but the monster continued to work regardless. It pushed the soul back through his chest and he gasped. Suddenly all he saw was blue. This didn’t feel right. He remembers pain and the feeling of being suffocated.

He remembers the sound of glass breaking and the monster slapping a hand over his mouth and ordering him to breathe and calm down.

He took a deep breath, gritting his teeth through the pain until it seemed to fade to a dull ache in his chest. The monster removed its hand and he looked up to see the lab in disarray. Despite this, the monster looked positively thrilled.

“That was excellent! An unexpected result, sure, but a very interesting one!” It exclaimed and he just stared. “what did you do to me?” He asked, numbly. The monster chuckled. “Well, for starters, I saved your life. You only had one HP left by the time I found you. Your soul was so close to shattering. I honestly wasn’t sure if you would survive the way back to my laboratory.”

“what did you do to my soul?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Well, I may have fused your soul with a part of mine. Only a small portion, of course. Enough to help hold your soul together through magical means. It seems to have allowed you to inherit some of my blue magic.”

“blue magic? what?” None of this was making sense. The monster nodded, moving to take a seat next to the table. “Yes. Blue magic. I’ll tell you more about it later when we can fully test out your new abilities. I wonder if they will be enhanced with the power of the human part of your soul…I’m actually excited! When would you like to start testing?”

“you’re insane.” The monster frowned and sat back, looking mildly offended. “Rude. Why do you say that? Is something wrong?”

“are you serious? i don’t know who the hell you are or where i am. my brother’s _dead_ for fuck’s sake! i’m not doing any testing. what i’m _going_ to do is leave and get to the barrier. i gotta get home…and tell everyone what happened to ty…” He squeezed his eyes closed and let out a shaky breath. “i can’t stay here. i _won’t_ stay here.”

“I see. Well, that’s very… _unfortunate_. However, I’m afraid you cannot leave.” The monster said a matter of factly. He tugged against his bonds as he tried to sit up, but the monster held up a hand to stop him from speaking. “No, don’t be idiotic. I’m not holding you against your will, but my, aren’t you ready to fight? That’s good. Very good actually. That will come in handy later. But…no. I’m afraid only humans can go through the barrier because the spell put in place many years ago only traps those with a monster soul. Now…the problem with you is, that in order to keep you alive…I had to _alter_ your soul. I’m afraid it’s no longer completely human. Of course, you’re welcome to try going through the barrier, but I’m sure you won’t be going anywhere.”

“…so i’m stuck here? you can’t be serious. i-i can’t be—“

“Oh, but you can. Besides, you seem to really care for your brother. You wouldn’t… _abandon_ him, now, would you?” It asked, it’s grin mischievous as it watched him carefully.

 “he’s _dead_. you said so earlier. if i left, i wouldn’t be—“

“Yes. He has passed, but…what if he didn’t stay dead?” It asked and it laced it’s fingers together thoughtfully. “I have an offer to make you. You’re stuck here in the underground. The least I can do is make your stay more pleasant, yes? Listen, what if I could bring your brother back?”

He sat up a bit straighter, ignoring how the bonds dug into his wrists. “and how can you do that?”

“Well, there is an old technique in order to reanimate the dead, but the soul has to be powerful enough to sustain itself after death in order to be used. And your brother’s soul fits the bill. So, how about I bring your brother back? In exchange, you stay here, with me, and we discover your new abilities together?”

He laid back down and thought for a moment. If he couldn’t be saved, he may be able to save his brother. It was worth a try, right? He was stuck here. He could never see his family or the surface again. What more did he have to lose? Besides, he’d be happy if he could, at least, give his brother a second chance. The chance to make it back home. He had to try. For Ty’s sake. He sighed. “…fine. i’ll do it. just bring my brother back. please.”

The monster clapped it’s hands together excitedly. “Great! I can’t wait to get started! Of course, I should let you rest a bit first. Here.” It stood and freed him from his bonds. “Come on, then. Get up. I have a room you can stay in during your time here. Follow me.” It turned and made its way towards the door, waiting for him to catch up before preceding forward. “Get some rest because we start tomorrow afternoon. Okay? Good.” It said before pausing for a moment. “Ah…I suppose I should call you something other than ‘The Human’, shouldn’t I? What is your name, my boy?”

“...andre.” He muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The monster hummed. “Andre, hm? An odd name.”

“it’s really not.”

“On the surface, I suppose not, but down here it certainly is. We might have to change that…once we find a better way for you to blend in with monster society, of course. I don’t think people will appreciate a permanent human resident. Or human- _ish_ resident. Anyway, that’s something to worry about later. As for me, I’m Dr. W.D Gaster. You may simply call me Gaster, if you like.” Gaster said. It preceded to talk out loud about possible tests it could run while he stayed quiet until they stopped in front of a door.

“Here you are, my boy. Your new room. I hope you were paying attention where we walked because the lab we started in is where we’ll meet tomorrow. Good night!” It said and by the time he’s turned to ask a question, the monster was gone.

He really hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

That night, he dreamed of home. For a little while, he could pretend everything was alright.

 

* * *

 

There was a loud, insistent knock at her door and Undyne questioned who the hell would be waking her up at this hour? She growled and dragged herself out of bed to yank open her front door.

“What the—? Papyrus, do you know what time it is? What are you doing here? “

The skeleton in question looked away for a moment, nervously wringing his hands together as he tried to figure out what to say. “Ah, h-hello, Undyne! I’m here for our next cooking lesson!” He said, giving an anxious smile when she looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What? Papyrus, your lesson isn’t even until tomorrow! Go home and come back in the morning.” She said and was about to close the door, but Papyrus reached out to hold it open.

“Please, Undyne! C-Could we…maybe…have it now? It’s really important...” Undyne paused, raising a brow in question. Something had to be up. She sighed and stepped aside to let the other monster inside. “Alright, Papyrus, take a seat. I’ll make us some tea and then you’re going to tell me what you _really_ woke me up for. Okay?”

 

* * *

 

“I just don’t know what to do! I’m really worried about him, Undyne, but he just won’t talk to me!”

“I don’t know. Are you sure he’s not just being his usual lazy self?”

“No!” Papyrus exclaimed, slamming down his cup, tea sloshing out the sides. “I’m serious, Undyne. Something has been bothering him and it’s only getting worse. I tried confronting him about it earlier after dragging him out of Grillby’s for, what must be, the hundredth, time.”

“And?”

The skeleton sighed. “…Whatever it is that’s troubling him, he believes I can’t handle it. Whatever he’s hiding, it’s because he thinks he’s trying to protect me. But…he also said something a bit odd. He said that I’m not going to remember if he explained it to me. How would he know? I, for one, have excellent memory! And I certainly wouldn’t forget anything as important as what’s causing my brother such distress!”

Undyne yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Well, you know what I think? I think you should keep trying, that’s what!”

“You…You think so? I don’t want to push him away…”

“Listen, Papyrus, you gotta go back there and keep pushing. Sans is stubborn, so you’ve got to be stubborn right back. Let him know that you’re worried and you’re not going to sit around while he sinks deeper in whatever hole he’s putting himself in, yeah? So, that’s what you’re gonna do. You’re going to go right back home and try again. You’ll get it through that thick skull of his, I’m sure of it, okay? Just try, at least, and let me know how it goes tomorrow, alright?” She said, roughly patting him on the back.

He barely even winced. He nodded and quickly stood up. “I will! The Great Papyrus never backs down! Nyeh heh heh! Thank you for the advice, Undyne!” He said as he ran right out the door and back towards Snowdin.

 

* * *

 

Okay…this was it. He would go right up to Sans and demand some answers. Yes. It could be that hard, right? Right? He sighed and quickly made his way inside their cozy home. He made his way upstairs hesitantly.

He went to knock on the door and found it opened, just a crack. He’d decided to tidy up the house today and he’d ask Sans to leave his door unlocked so he could try to tame the beast that was the smaller skeleton’s room while he was at work. In his rush to get away, he must have forgotten to close and lock it. Just what he needed. He paused and listened carefully. There was nothing but soft snoring coming from the other side. Sans was asleep. Maybe he should let him sleep. He would talk to him in the morning, then. In the meantime, he should at least go and cover him up with his freshly washed sheets. He pushed open the door quietly and stepped inside.

 

Wait.

 

He creeped closer to the lump on the bed and had to suppress a gasp. This wasn’t his brother…it was some sort of intruder! But more importantly, what looked like…

 

A _human_!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter was getting a bit long, so I decided to cut it in half. And sorry for the slow updates! Finals came up so quickly...

He couldn’t believe it.

 

 An actual human!

 

This… _was_ a human, wasn’t it? He’d never really seen one in person, but regardless, he was sure that this was, indeed, a human. This was his chance! He would capture this human, present it to Undyne, and therefore prove that he had what it takes to become a member of the Royal Guard. Undyne would be so impressed that she just had to accept him on the spot. He was certain of it.

Though…as thrilling as capturing a human was, he had to question a few things. Namely, how had a human gotten into their house? While he would rather leave the house unlocked, as anyone is welcomed in the home of the Great Papyrus, but Sans insisted that it’s better to keep it locked. Just to be safe.

Perhaps the real question wasn’t how the human got in, but rather why on earth had they chosen _Sans’_ room of all places to sleep in? Sure, he had cleaned it up, so it wasn’t quite in the state of disarray that it usually was, but there was still that awful trash tornado spinning in the corner of the room.

Sans insisted that it stayed.

It was one of the few arguments that Papyrus never wins, besides the one with that disgusting sock on the living room floor. Part of him suspects that the tornado’s gentle winds help lull his brother back to sleep after he has a nightmare. Another part of him suspects that Sans just keeps it just to mess with him. It was probably both. Still, maybe the winds were soothing to the human. Why else would they take Sans’ room? To hide from him?

That was not important. What _was_ important was capturing this human. He moved even closer to the human curiously. He knows he has a duty to preform, but while the human was sleeping, he wanted to get a closer look. After all, when would he ever get a chance like this again?

He knelt beside the bed and squinted through the darkness. Strange. The human almost seemed… _familiar_ somehow. He wasn’t exactly sure why. The human was snoring softly and was shivering slightly. The human must be cold. Even with their large coat on.

 

Wait.

 

That looked like Sans’ coat. He was sure his brother only had one of those coats and he hardly took it off. Had something…?

No. That was ridiculous. It simply must not be the same coat. Yes, that must be it. Anyway, he was wasting time. He needed to go ahead and follow through with his duties as a future member of the Royal Guard. He pushed himself back to his feet and readied himself to make a good first impression.

He took a deep breath.

“HUMAN!” He shouted, excitedly, striking a quite dramatic pose as his scarf fluttered in the presence of non-existent wind. The reaction was _instantaneous_. The human woke with a start, scrambling backwards towards the wall a bit in surprise. Then, the human squinted and they seemed confused, yet oddly relieved.

“VERY CLEVER HIDING IN HERE…THOUGH I’M NOT QUITE SURE HOW YOU GOT IN. NEVERTHELESS, THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS FOUND YOU!” He said, proudly.

The human only looked more confused until their eyes widened. They quickly started patting their face as if looking for something. Or, rather, as if something was missing. Suddenly, the human scooted back and further away from him, pressing their back up against the wall, eyes darting around in panic. He frowned slightly. Okay…this was not what he wanted. Perhaps he shouldn’t have done this in the dark. He needed to fix this.

“There’s no need to panic, human! I only wish to capture you and bring you to Undyne, Captain of the prestigious Royal Guard! It’s perfectly safe! I promise!” He grinned, but the human only seemed to become more distressed at the idea. Hm. Maybe he should go about this another way. “Do not worry! The Great Papyrus will make this fair! You must have successfully gotten through my brother’s and my puzzles that we’d set up to stop you from entering Snowdin, so prepare yourself! We are going to battle!” He proclaimed before quickly moving towards the human who was practically frozen in place. He easily picked him up. The human was heavy, but all the times he’s had to carry his brother has really paid off! He couldn’t wait to tell Sans about this!

* * *

 

This was bad.

 

How had Papyrus gotten into his room? He always kept it locked to avoid this very problem.

 

Wait.

 

Today was cleaning day, wasn’t it? The only day he left his door unlocked so Papyrus could come in and clean his room. He hardly even noticed. Too drunk and too upset to really care.

 

This had to be some form of karma.

 

He needed to think. He had to figure a way out of this. Luckily Papyrus hadn’t figured out that the human was actually his own brother. Good. He could work with this. All he needed to do was get away somehow and hide. Once Papyrus went off looking for the human, he would just teleport back into his room, throw on his disguise, and hope Papyrus would be okay with the human slipping through his grasp. That was doable, right?

Except Papyrus was coming towards him and before he could do anything, he was being tucked under Papyrus’ arm and being carried out of his room. Okay, he could still work with this. Papyrus was taking him outside to initiate a battle. He would just flee and carry out the rest of his plan from there. Therefore, he didn’t put up much of a fight. He just let Papyrus carry him outside and towards a clearing on the way towards to Waterfall.

Papyrus put him down and quickly moved to the other side of the clearing. This was his chance. He turned to run, but before he could take more than a few steps, Papyrus had quickly pulled his soul into a battle, not wanting him to escape.

 

This was _very_ bad.

 

He was trapped and he felt his stomach drop as he watched helplessly, waiting for the moment Papyrus to discover his secret.

He knew he would be caught because Papyrus’ turn was first. Which meant that he could and would check his stats before making any move to attack. One of the many things he admired about Papyrus was that he had an immense control of his magic. Of course, it was a skill he had to learn rather quickly when living with a 1 HP ‘monster'. Papyrus checked the stats of his opponents so he could know just how far he could push. Know how powerful or weak to make his attacks to avoid the risk of dealing fatal damage.  

He would, honestly, be proud of he wasn’t the target of such skill. Now, that was going to be his undoing. He only had to wait and see what Papyrus would do once he saw his stats. He watched warily as Papyrus navigated the menu and checked his stats.

 

This was it.

* * *

 

**SANS**

**1 HP 1 ATK 1 DEF**

“I…I don’t understand.” Papyrus was looking at his stats and looking back at him, trying desperately to understand the information presented before him. He wasn’t even sure what to say. He wouldn’t say that he’d never feared the day that all of his hard work would come crashing down on top of him. He wasn’t even sure how Papyrus would handle it. His brother was simply too kindhearted to outright hate him, of course, but that didn’t mean the thought wasn’t there. It didn’t mean that he wasn’t afraid of the idea of possibly losing the only family he had in the underground all over again.

 

He couldn’t lose his brother. Not again. Never again.

 

But he had to say or do _something_ because Papyrus was looking at him, silently demanding an answer, the menu still open, showing off his, admittedly, unimpressive stats. He swallowed and smiled nervously, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

 

“uh…heya, pap. back home so soon?”

 

That…was a terrible way to start this conversation. He shifted anxiously and looked away, awkward grin still in place.

He glanced back at Papyrus, watching how his brother slowly registered the familiarity of his voice and his mannerisms that lead to the conclusion that, yes, this person, this _human_ , was his brother.

He could feel his heart racing in his chest and he really wished Papyrus would stop staring at him like that. Abruptly, Papyrus ended the battle, never taking his eyes off of him.

 

“…Sans?” Papyrus asked and he saw how he struggled to process his appearance now and the one he’d always known as one in the same.

 

“heh…yeah. um…so, i guess i’ve got some explaining to do, don’t i?” He _really_ wasn’t looking forward to this. Where would he even start?

 

“Sans, what is this? Why are you a—“ Papyrus paused, letting the word go unspoken.

 

He looked away. “okay…i guess now’s a good time, if ever, to come clean, but…uh…before we get to that, could we…you know, go back inside? it’s just that i’m sort of _exposed_ out here and the last thing i want is for undyne to come by and see me like this.”

Papyrus frowned a bit, but nodded regardless. Really, it would be bad if anyone saw him out here. That was a good way for word to spread that Undyne would, no doubt, overhear. Or be told directly depending on whether or not Monster Kid overheard it first.

Papyrus took the lead, walking the short distance back to their home silently. Really, it was late and no one was out at this time of night, but it was best to be careful. He followed in silence until they were back in their living room, front door shut and locked just to be safe.

Okay…now where to start? He looked up to find Papyrus still watching him, arms crossed, still waiting for some sort of logical explanation. Well, he had one. He just wasn’t sure how well Papyrus would take it. He sighed and moved to the couch. Papyrus hesitated, but followed soon afterwards, taking a seat quietly.

 

* * *

 

Deep breath.

 

“okay, pap, look…”

 

Oh god, here it goes.

 

“i’m…human.”

 

Papyrus didn’t look pleased. “I can see that.”

 

“okay, yeah, but…what i mean is that i’ve kinda always been like this.”

 

Papyrus shook his head. “But how? I don’t understand. Earlier you looked—“

 

“i know. it’s…a disguise. not the best, but, hey, it works, right?” He said with a weak smile.

 

The confusion on Papyrus’ face mixed with a look of betrayal that made him feel sick to his stomach. “So, you’ve been _lying_ to me.”

 

“pap, wait. you don’t understand—“

 

“What’s not to understand? You let everyone believe that you were a _monster_ , Sans! You _lied_ to them and you lied to _me_. How…How did you let me believe that for all this time you were my brother? Who is it, exactly, that I’ve been really living with for...as long as I can remember?”

This was going _horribly_. Now what? How could he explain that he wasn’t some stranger that had just taken advantage of a monster’s kindred heart, without telling the whole truth?

 

Without reminding Papyrus of his past life?

 

Without reminding Papyrus of his death?

 

His brother’s happiness _always_ came first and Papyrus was happier as a monster.

 

 _Kinder_ ,

 

More _self-confident_ ,

 

And was about as harmless as a flower.

 

Well… _normal_ flowers anyway.

 

He just couldn’t remind him of the person he was before. Papyrus was better off like this, which meant letting Papyrus think that they weren’t related.

 

It meant letting Papyrus lose the only sense of family he had.

 

It meant losing Papyrus as his brother.

 

It meant sacrificing their relationship. They had been closer than they ever had been when Papyrus was Ty and he wasn’t ready to give that up.

 

But he had to.

 

Because Papyrus happiness always came first.

 

_Always._

 

But…was keeping him in the dark the best thing to do? Would hiding the truth maintain the promise to keep Papyrus happy?

 

 It did, didn’t it?

 

His shoulders sagged in defeat.

 

So, once again, he had to hide the truth. Once again, he was forced to lie to Papyrus. Maybe not completely. He would just leave Ty out of the recollection.

 

It would be better that way.

 

At least…that’s what he had to keep telling himself.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience through this months long hiatus! I'm sorry, but life and school got in the way of this chapter's completion, but it's finally done. Thank you so much for all the support!

God, this was all his fault, wasn’t it?

 

He remembered this being his idea. He’d wanted an excuse to get Ty away from those boys he called ‘friends’. They weren’t a good influence and he was going off to college soon. He didn’t have much time and he’d be damned if he, at least, didn’t _try_ to get Ty to turn his life around.

“ _What?!_ ” The look of sheer horror on his brother’s face was _priceless_.

He remembered bringing up the trip to California while he was reading in bed. Ty was busy on the computer, perfectly distracted with headphones. He had hoped Ty wouldn’t have been paying enough attention when he broke the news. He wasn’t so lucky and he knew he’d have to suffer through his brother’s whining for the rest of the week.

Regardless, he didn’t even spare Ty a glance. “you heard me. we’re leaving this friday at five. _sharp_. go ahead and think about what you want to take.”

“Wha—You can’t be serious!”

“i can and i am.”

“This is bullshit! I was gonna go out and—“

“and you _are_. to the airport. with me. how lucky are you?” He grinned, flipping to the next page of his book.

“Don’t be a smartass.” Ty scowled, balling his hands into fists.

“aw, but it’s what i do best!”

Ty glared before screaming for their mother.

He tsked disapprovingly. “nope. already talked to her. afraid you’re stuck with me. don’t try pitting your dad against me either. you’re not going to win this. you’re going whether you like it or not. besides, it’ll be nice. california’s a pretty nice place and it’s been a while since seen our uncle. not only that, the tickets have already been paid for and they sure as hell weren’t cheap, so…you’re going. end of story.”

“Like hell I am.” Ty hissed, practically turning red with anger.

He remembered pretending not to hear that. “our uncle wants to take us to the mountains, too, by the way. you might want to pack your boots.”

He shielded his face with his book when Ty threw his shoe at him.

 

* * *

 

He woke up feeling groggy, forgetting where he was for a moment. He remembered feeling…cold. He looked around and quickly recognized the dreary metal room. He struggled to find the motivation to get out of bed. He’d been participating in Gaster’s experiments for a while now. He wasn’t exactly sure how long. It was hard to keep track of time in the Underground. He feels like it’s been weeks. Months maybe. Hours of being hooked up to one machine after the other. Hours of being to one experiment after the other, Gaster trying to determine just how much his soul has been altered. He wanted to know his soul’s limitations, his new powers, and how strong they were. That was just the beginning, he knew.

 

* * *

 

He summoned his soul, looking over its cracked surface. Slowly, the cracks were disappearing, though his soul would never go back to the way it was before.

He would never be fully human ever again. He could never escape this place. Not unless enough human souls were collected to break through the barrier. He sighed. He had been so ready to get out of his neighborhood. His grades had been good enough to get him into a respectable school. He would have been able to get away from the violence on the streets and the yelling in the house. He could have gone to a place where he didn’t have to look over his shoulder every time he went out. A place where he didn’t have to worry about dealers and gang members on the streets.

He did have his worries though. Leaving meant leaving his brother behind. He had been trying his best to keep that kid out of trouble, but Ty fought him every step of the way. Ty was a smart kid. He knew he was, but he refused to do anything that didn’t correlate with what ‘the guys’ were doing. He feared that those boys would get his little brother killed one day.

Ha!

Instead, he was the one that ensured that fate.

 _Ironic_ , wasn’t it?

He felt sick to his stomach.

But…But maybe…just maybe, Gaster could bring him back. It seemed farfetched, but what other choice did he have? If there was a way to get Ty’s life back, then he would do it. What’s the worst that a few tests could do, right?

 

* * *

 

He often found himself strapped into a chair as Gaster poked and prodded at his soul. There was a problem with Gaster’s patch job. Gaster’s magic kept his soul from shattering. His HP had been at one. It was honestly a miracle that the royal scientist was able to save him at all. The problem was that his HP was staying at one. Like he was continuously tittering on the edge of life and death.

 

It wasn’t a good feeling.

 

He remembered the blood oozing from his body after that monster attacked him. He had been scared that he was going to die there. Die in the monster world. With his brother already dead, he would have bled out alone. Never to be found by friends or family. He had always craved solitude. He was never that sociable and enjoyed his privacy. He lived in an area where everyone knew everyone’s business. He had wanted nothing more than to be left to his own devices.

But in that moment, where it was just him and death was staring him in the face, he’s never felt more _terrified_.

 

He remembered feeling cold.

 

So _cold_.

 

He felt like he couldn’t _breathe_.

 

But now…

He still felt cold.

 

Colder than before.

 

It radiated from his soul and he didn’t know why. He didn’t know how to make it stop. His skin felt like a corpse. When he had asked Gaster about it, he had told him that magic affects different monsters in different ways. That same apparently went for humans. He wanted to know about monsters and magic, but Gaster insisted that they deal with more pressing matters first. Namely, his 1 HP.

His soul had been healing nicely, but it just wasn’t good enough. Gaster decided to try injecting more blue magic directly into it. The pain hurt worse than anything he’s ever felt before. A white hot searing pain that ripped through his very being. Gaster gave him a cloth to bite down on as compensation, apologizing, and promising that it would be over soon. He almost seemed sympathetic, but the way he observed him during each experiment…that disturbing _fascination_ made him believe that he was nothing more than a new toy for the scientist to play with until…until what?

 

Until Gaster got bored with him?

 

Until he tossed him away?

 

Then what?

 

* * *

 

He could tell that Gaster was losing his patience with him. His experiments have been unsuccessful so far. His human soul has merged with the blue magic without much of a fuss, but his stats remain unchanged. One hit and he would die. He’s been sure to be very careful now that he was so fragile. He’s been paranoid that one wrong step would end in his demise. That dread of death never living his side.

Gaster decided to change tactics. He wants him to start training. It would let the monster see just how powerful he was and to see if they could raise his stats through physical exercise.   

 “wait.”

Gaster paused before sighing in slight irritation for having his rant interrupted. “Yes, what is it, my boy? We don’t have time to waste. We need to test the full extent of your abilities—“

“i’ve been sitting back and letting you hook me up to all sorts of machinery for days now and i haven’t heard anything about ty.” He said, looking up at the monster pointedly. At Gaster’s confused expression, his eyes narrowed warily. “ _ty_. my brother. the one that you were supposed to bring back to life?”

“Ah. Right. Him…” The scientist hummed, tapping on his chin thoughtfully. “We’ll get to him later. These tests are more important and we’re running on a very tight schedule here. We need to keep trying to get those stats up.”

“ i want to see him.”

Gaster paused and turned back towards the human, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. He remembered standing his ground. He refused to continue until he knew that the scientist was keeping his part of the deal. The monster sighed, tapping his long fingers against his chin. “Fine. Follow me.”

 

* * *

 

He remembered feeling his heart racing in his chest. He didn’t know what to expect. He followed the scientist into another section of the lab that he’d never seen before. He subtly watched as Gaster typed in a code before entering the dark room.

He remembered a soft orange glow bathing the room. The source, a soul shining under a sheet covered mound.

He remembered feeling sick. God, his brother was in a body bag. A goddamned body bag. He squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a breath. Gaster allowed him a moment to compose himself before speaking. “His soul is being closely monitored. It’s stable for now, but I want to give it enough time for the magic to full take. One mistake could cause the soul to shatter.”

He let out a shaky breath and dared to step closer to the body. “ _Don’t_ touch him.” Gaster said, and he could tell that the monster was watching him closely. He never took his eyes off of Ty’s body. The soul’s glow was weak and the soul itself was pale. More white than the brilliant orange he was sure it once was. He sighed. His own soul was like that as well. More white than blue. He ran a hand down his face. It wasn’t fair. His brother hadn’t been the best, but he had so much potential. He had tried so hard to not make Ty into a product of their environment. And now, he was…

No.

Gaster could save him. He _has_ to be able to save him. He wasn’t sure what the teenager would do without him and he feared that, given another chance, Ty would only fall back into his old lifestyle. But maybe everything that’s happened would make a difference. Death changes people. Maybe it would be enough of a wakeup call for the younger siblings. He could only hope.

Still, he tried to take comfort in the idea that Gaster could revive him and give Ty a second chance. As long as his soul was intact, Ty would live. All he had to do was continue being Gaster’s genuia pig.

He looked down at Ty’s soul. Wait. Something was wrong. Ty’s soul was inverted. Gaster seems to have noticed as well. He didn’t seem bothered. He seemed fascinated. Even almost…pleased? He remembered asking what was wrong. His knowledge about souls was limited to what little he knew about his own. His soul didn’t look that way, so why was Ty’s any different?

“Calm down. Nothing wrong. Everything’s going just fine. This is only temporary. He’ll be back to normal once he has fully recovered.”

He hadn’t known much about how souls worked or the difference between a human and a monster soul. If he had, he would’ve realized sooner that he would never have his little brother back.

 

At least…

Not the one he’s always known.

 

* * *

 

He had been lying to Papyrus for so long.

He thinks that he should be used to it by now.

And yet, it still makes his heart feel heavy and his stomach twist into knots.

But he had to do it.

So, he told Papyrus his story.

An altered version, of course. One where Ty hadn’t existed. Sans had been just some reckless kid on a hiking trip with his uncle. He climbed up Mt. Ebbot, lost his footing and fell. From there, he had wandered the underground, donning the first version of his skeleton mask in an attempt to blend in with the monsters around him. He left out anything about Flowey, knowing that Papyrus still considered the little bastard a friend.

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but occasionally glance over at the skeleton every once in a while. Papyrus was listening intently with an unreadable expression on his face. How was he taking this? He couldn’t tell, but he knew that whatever his brother was feeling, it wasn’t one that would be in his favor. But this was for the best. It was, wasn’t it? Papyrus was better off not knowing. Papyrus was happy as a monster and his brother’s happiness always came first.

Papyrus stayed quiet after Sans had finished speaking. Sans looked away and shifted uncomfortably. “are…are you okay?” He asked. A stupid question, really. Papyrus ran a hand down his face and shook his head. “Am I okay?” He asked before letting a soft laugh.  Suddenly, he looked so _lost_. “No… No, I’m…I’m not okay. How could I be? I mean…What do I have?”

At his confused expression, Papyrus continued.

 “Sans…I thought you were someone I could _trust_. I thought I could always count on you to be my big brother and always be there for me no matter what. I thought could rely on you when I really needed it…” He paused for a moment before looking away. “I thought we were the only ones of our kind. I’ve never met another skeleton before. No one I could truly relate to…except you. With you, it was, at least, a little less lonely. But now…now what? Now I learn that there’s no one but me. No else like me. No family. No one….except me.”

“wait, pap. i know what i did, but I’m still—“

“I don’t know who you _are_ , Sans. Is ‘ _Sans’_ even your real name?” He asked, and god, that look of hurt and betrayal stung worse than anything.

He hesitated before slumping his shoulders and looking away. “…andre.”

Papyrus stared at him blankly. “I beg your pardon?”

“my, uh…real name…it’s andre.”

Papyrus threw his hands up in frustration. “I knew it! My whole life with you has been nothing but a lie! My ‘brother’ has become nothing more than some stranger! I…I always knew you were hiding something from me, but _this_ …I never thought it would be something like this. And I know that this is not all that you’ve been hiding from me. Just where do the lies _stop_?” He asked.

God, he sounded so _disappointed_.

He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if there was anything that he _could_ say.

Papyrus just didn’t understand. He was trying to protect him.

He shook his head. “papyrus, listen, there’re just some things that you’re better off not knowing.”

“ _Don’t_. Don’t do that. Please don’t do that. I am a grown skeleton. I’m not a baby bones anymore! I just wanted to help you, Sans! I want to help because I thought we were family. Because I care! You can’t spend your whole life shielding me from everything! I can’t just spend my whole life letting you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I just wish that you trusted me to handle these things. I wish you trusted me enough to let me _help you_! I just…” He sighed and shook his head. “I suppose none of that matters now. Because we’re not family. You’re _not_ my brother. You’re not—“

“papyrus, wait—“

“Sans…or Andre…or _whatever_. I don’t want to hear it. Not right now. Right now…” He paused and tried to think of what to do. It was so much to take in. His whole world and everything he thought he knew had just crumbled from underneath him. He needed space. He needed time to process all of this. He stood up.

Sans’ heart dropped. He couldn’t be leaving again, could he? Would he even come back this time?

“pap—“

Papyrus held up a hand. “Just…Just give me some time. I want to be alone right now.” He said, voice strained, before turning and making his way upstairs.

 

He slammed the door behind him without another word. 

  


End file.
